Rajasthan NGO Busted for Human Trafficking Under Mass Marriage Scam

A 19-year-old resident of Lalpur, Varanasi, reported being kidnapped and gang-raped by 22 men over a week-long ordeal. According to police, the young woman left her home on March 29 to visit a friend but did not return. Her family filed a missing persons report on April 4. The following day, she was reportedly drugged and released by her captors at Pandeypur intersection. She managed to reach a friend's house and later informed her father, who filed a formal complaint with the police. Investigators revealed that the alleged assaults took place at multiple locations, including a hookah bar and guest houses. Six suspects have been arrested, while a manhunt continues for the remaining individuals. Authorities are cautious in releasing information about the accused, some of whom may be minors. "The rape complaint was lodged only on April 6," stated Chandrakant Meena, a senior police officer, highlighting a delay in official reporting of the incident. Ongoing investigations aim to uncover further details surrounding this disturbing case.

A crackdown on China-linked loan app scams has revealed extensive operations impacting numerous countries, including India, Nigeria, and the Philippines. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) reported that two individuals were arrested in India for managing a Chinese loan app scam that involved over 500 illicit bank accounts, amassing around ₹719 crores (approximately $86 million). According to ED sources, these scams rely on data harvesting, extortion, and cryptocurrency money laundering, targeting individuals through deceptive practices such as blackmail. The global financial impact of these scams is estimated to exceed $3 billion since 2020. The China Communist Party's United Front Work Department and the Ministry of State Security have been implicated in facilitating these operations, which utilize shell companies and advanced cyber techniques to infiltrate foreign economies. The ED's investigation identified a network facilitating cryptocurrency transfers to overseas wallets, with an alarming trend of financial ruin and suicides reported among victims in India. The scope and complexity of these schemes underscore the urgent need for international collaboration to combat cybercrime.

In a remarkable twist, a Karnataka man named Suresh, who spent over 18 months in jail on murder charges, was exonerated after his wife, Mallige, presumed dead, resurfaced alive. According to the Press Trust of India, Suresh faced allegations of killing Mallige after her disappearance in 2020, following the discovery of a skeleton believed to be hers. The case took a dramatic turn when Mallige was found on April 1, 2025, in Madikeri. Suresh had been imprisoned based on a police investigation that linked him to Mallige's alleged murder, claiming the skeleton was hers. However, discrepancies arose after DNA testing showed a mismatch between the skeleton and Mallige's lineage. A court summoned the Superintendent of Police to report on the investigation's flaws, demanding answers by April 17. Suresh's lawyer, Pandu Poojari, emphasized the need for accountability, stating there should be investigations into the skeleton's identity and the police's handling of the case. Following this incident, Suresh plans to seek justice and compensation for the wrongful accusations against him.